New York Mets five-time All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso hit his 253rd and 254th career home runs Aug. 12, breaking Darryl Strawberry’s 35-year-old team record. Afterward, Mets pitcher David Peterson presented Alonso, a longtime wine lover, with a bottle of Gaja signed by his teammates.
“It's really good juice, very high quality,” Alonso told Wine Spectator. “I love Old World wine. You can taste history, you can taste quality, and everyone signed the bottle, which was very thoughtful, and I'm definitely going to enjoy the wine at some point.”
Alonso grew up in Tampa, Fla., earning All-SEC honors at the University of Florida before being selected by the Mets in the second round of the 2016 MLB draft. But his wine education started much earlier, with his grandfather, a refugee of the Spanish Civil War. The Polar Bear, as Alonso’s legion of fans know him, recently spoke with Wine Spectator’s Robert Taylor about his love for Italian wine, his next wine country destination and his favorite teammates to savor a glass of wine with.
Wine Spectator: What was your first experience with wine?
Pete Alonso: Originally it was because of my grandpa on my dad's side. Anytime he would cook, he would always cook with wine. And when I was in high school, he would pour me a little shot glass of wine, because he was a firm believer that to eat is to drink, and to drink is to eat, and wine is paired with the meal.
My grandpa wanted to reenforce the Old World style of consumption, where it's like, Hey, listen, if you're going to drink, drink to enjoy. You drink it because you like it and it tastes good and the occasion calls for it. If you're drinking a nice wine, it should be paired with a beautiful meal. There should always be some sort of food involved, because it just enhances the enjoyment.
Do you have any favorite wines?
My all-time favorite is Brunello di Montalcino. I love Brunello. Sangiovese is a phenomenal varietal, and I’ve visited [Tuscany].
Thankfully during the season we have some off time, so in San Francisco or Oakland, you get to enjoy Napa. They have great wines. They make some very famous wines, but I think the best are the undiscovered wines, from people who are just dedicated to quality. And I think in a lot of those European countries, they're really dedicated, and they ship out the good stuff, but the best stuff they keep for themselves. France, Italy, Spain—they definitely keep the best juice for themselves.
What’s next on your wine travel to-do list?
I definitely want to do Champagne with my wife. We haven't done that yet. We've explored a lot of Tuscany and the Italian wine scene. I think our next adventure will definitely be Champagne, and Bordeaux, and I would love to visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We really like wines from that region as well.
Do you have a favorite food-and-wine pairing?
For me, I think, man … that's a really good question. It just depends. I love seasonal pairings. If a certain seafood's in season, obviously, either a rosé or a beautiful white Bordeaux or Chablis …. It just depends on what mood I'm in. Obviously a nice big red wine with steak … honestly, for me, because there's so many endless possibilities, I'm not picky with wine or food. I just want to enjoy whatever's the best in season, whether it’s food or wine.
Do you have a favorite restaurant wine list to explore?
I think one of my favorite places all-time to peruse is Bern’s Steak House in Tampa. It’s got one of the largest private wine collections in the world. They have so many selections of stuff you can try by the glass that normally wouldn't be available. Bern’s is great.
And in New York, Bemelman’s at the Carlisle is a great place for a glass of wine.
Is wine appreciation something you’ve shared with teammates?
Me and Petey [Mets pitcher David Peterson], we've had a lot of great bottles together. Harrison Bader too. I've learned a lot about wine from Justin Verlander. I know Francisco [Lindor] has an appreciation … it’s great because, especially on the team flights, if someone brings a bottle, you get to see everyone's personal, individual taste. So for me, I have stuff that I like. Everyone's got their own different specific style that they like, and it's really interesting to try those different personal selections. I've had some good wines with a lot of guys on the team over the years.
Have you given any consideration to following late Mets greats Rusty Staub and Tom Seaver into post-retirement second careers in wine?
No, I'm just thinking more about my [baseball] career right now and what I can do. But I know Tom Seaver’s GTS, that’s some phenomenal, phenomenal juice. But I don't really see myself pursuing wine [as a career after baseball], just because I know it's a lot to learn. I'm more of an enjoyer than someone who wants to create. I mean, for me, there's still so much to try out there. There's still so many untapped regions to explore.
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